TankBud

Virgin nerite

Vitta virginea

Also known as Olive nerite, Virgin nerite snail

FreshwaterBrackishSnail

Virgin nerite (Vitta virginea)
Cristina Hutchison · cc0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
7.5–8.5
Adult size
0.8 in
2 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
20 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Family
Neritidae
Origin
Western Atlantic and Caribbean estuaries

Overview

Keep them on their own and stock by how much algae the tank grows rather than as a group, since they are solitary grazers and will starve a clean tank. They are peaceful bottom dwellers that work over glass, rock, and substrate all day. Give them hard alkaline water from pH 7.5 to 8.5 and a temperature of 22 to 26 C in a tank of 20 liters or more. If the algae runs out, drop in algae wafers or blanched vegetables like zucchini or spinach. Use a lid, because they climb the glass and will crawl out of an open tank.

In the wild

Virgin nerites come from estuaries along the Western Atlantic and Caribbean coasts, where they graze algae off rock, glass, and substrate in hard, mineral-rich water. To match that, keep them in a tank of at least 20 liters with hard, alkaline water and a pH from 7.5 to 8.5, since the calcium keeps their shell solid. Run the temperature between 22 and 26 C. In soft, acidic water the shell pits and erodes, so check your hardness before adding them.

Good to know

This is a small snail in the family Neritidae, staying around 2 cm as an adult. Breeding is hard in the home tank because the larvae need brackish water to develop, so it will not breed in fresh water and cannot overpopulate. Most stock in the trade is wild collected. With good water it lives a couple of years.

Did you know

This snail cannot breed in a freshwater tank no matter how settled it is. The females will lay small white egg capsules on hard surfaces, but the larvae need brackish water to hatch and grow, so the eggs simply sit there and never produce young.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Virgin nerite is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Virgin nerite need?

A Virgin nerite needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Virgin nerite need?

A Virgin nerite is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.

How big does a Virgin nerite get?

An adult Virgin nerite reaches about 0.8 in (2 cm).

Related species